Anti-encroachment drive on Hazara Motorway from tomorrow

MANSEHRA: National Highway Authority (NHA) will begin an anti-encroachment campaign in Havelian-Thakot section of Hazara Motorway from tomorrow (Monday).“We have already issued notices to encroachers

and would launch the operation to raze the buildings,” Chaudhry Masood, the project director of the Havelian-Thakot section of Hazara Motorway, told reporters on Saturday.

He said that in the first phase of the operation, commercial buildings constructed along with interchanges from Mansehra city up to Battal area would be grounded with the help of district administration.

“We would not only demolish the buildings and structures coming in the right -of-way but also close all infrequent routes and ways that people have on their own by cutting the barbed wires along the motorway,” he said.

The official said that in the second phase of the operation, the encroachments at interchanges’ link roads and infrequent routes from Battal in Mansehra to Thakot and Battagram would be grounded.

“During the third and final phase of the operation, encroachments from Mansehra- Havelian section would be removed,” Masood said.

He said the entire operation would be completed within a week, which might reduce the rate of traffic accidents in the Havelian-Thakot section of the main artery,” he said.